It happened back in November 2021. YouTube decided to pull the plug on one of the most useful indicators of "internet trash" we ever had: the public dislike count. If you were looking for a tutorial on how to fix a leaky faucet and saw 5,000 dislikes and 100 likes, you knew immediately to click away before you flooded your kitchen. Now? You’re flying blind. It's frustrating. Honestly, it feels like the platform took away our collective "BS detector." But here’s the thing—the data didn't actually vanish from the universe. If you want to know how to see thumbs down on youtube, you just have to know which digital backdoors are still kicked open.
The official reason Google gave for this move was to protect creators from "dislike attacks" and harassment. They wanted to foster a more "inclusive and respectful environment." That sounds nice on paper. However, many veteran creators like Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) and Linus Sebastian from Linus Tech Tips pointed out a massive flaw. Dislikes were a core utility for the viewer. Without them, scams and misinformation have a much easier time masquerading as legitimate content. You’ve probably noticed it yourself. You click a video titled "Free iPhone Giveaway," and because you can't see the 10,000 dislikes, you might actually spend five minutes of your life watching a scammer's pitch.
The Return of the Dislike Button (Sorta)
The most popular way to get that data back isn't through some secret YouTube setting. It’s an open-source project called Return YouTube Dislike (RYD). This is a browser extension available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and even Opera. It has millions of users now.
How does it work? It’s actually pretty clever, though it isn't perfect. Since YouTube's API (the way apps talk to YouTube's servers) stopped providing dislike counts to the general public in December 2021, RYD uses a combination of archived data and "extrapolated" data. Basically, the extension looks at its huge database of videos that were rated before the shutdown. For new videos, it tracks the behavior of its own users. If 10% of RYD users dislike a video, the extension assumes that roughly 10% of the total YouTube audience would feel the same way. It then does the math and displays a predicted dislike count where the old one used to be.
It’s an estimate. It's not the "true" number from Google's private servers. But in most cases, it’s remarkably accurate for spotting a video that is widely hated.
Mobile Users Are in a Different Boat
If you're on your phone, things get a bit more complicated. You can't just install a Chrome extension on the official YouTube app on your iPhone. That’s just not how Apple’s ecosystem works. If you're an Android user, you have a few more "wild west" options like YouTube Revanced. This is a community-driven project that patches the official app to add features back in—including the return of the dislike count. It’s a bit of a technical hurdle to set up, and you’re technically stepping outside the official Terms of Service, so do that at your own risk.
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For the iPhone crowd, your best bet is actually using a mobile browser like Safari with an extension called "Userscripts" or by using a third-party app like uYouPlus, which requires sideloading. It’s a hassle. Most people just give up and go back to the desktop when they really need to vet a video.
Why Google Hid the Numbers Anyway
We have to talk about the "why." YouTube's decision wasn't just about protecting the "little guy" creator. Many industry analysts suggest that large corporations and government entities were tired of seeing their high-budget advertisements or public service announcements get ratioed into oblivion. Remember the 2018 YouTube Rewind? It’s the most disliked video in the history of the platform. By removing the count, YouTube effectively removed a public scorecard that often embarrassed big-name brands.
- Creator Studio: Even though you can't see the dislikes, the creator can. They see every single "thumbs down" in their private analytics dashboard.
- The Algorithm: Dislikes still hurt. Or do they? Interestingly, even a dislike is "engagement." YouTube's recommendation engine cares more that you clicked and stayed for a bit than whether you liked the content.
- The Ratio: You'll often see people in the comments section typing the word "Dislike" as a way to start a "dislike thread." If that comment gets 2,000 likes, you can safely assume the video itself is getting hammered.
Accuracy and the Data Gap
The biggest problem with trying to figure out how to see thumbs down on youtube in 2026 is that the gap between "real" data and "estimated" data is widening. The Return YouTube Dislike team admits that as time goes on, their estimations might fluctuate. If only "power users" use the extension, the data might be biased. For example, tech-savvy people might dislike a video for reasons a casual viewer wouldn't care about.
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There's also the issue of privacy. To make these extensions work, they have to see what you're watching. Most reputable open-source projects are transparent about this, but you should always read the permissions. If an extension asks for access to your bank account or "all data on all websites," run away. You only need it to interact with youtube.com.
Steps to Restore Your Dislike Count Today
If you’re sitting at a laptop or desktop right now, you can fix this in about thirty seconds. This is the most reliable path.
- Open your browser (Chrome or Firefox are easiest).
- Search for the Return YouTube Dislike official website or find it in the Chrome Web Store.
- Click "Add to Chrome."
- Refresh your YouTube tab.
Suddenly, that empty space next to the like button will fill with a number. It feels like a weight being lifted. You can finally see that a "Free Money" tutorial actually has 40,000 dislikes. You saved yourself a headache.
What if you don't want to install an extension?
Maybe you're on a work computer or a library machine where you can't install software. You can use the "Comment Sentiment" method. It’s low-tech, but it works. Scroll down to the comments. If the top comments are all disabled, that's a massive red flag. If the comments are enabled but people are complaining about the video being fake or misleading, there's your "dislike" count in prose form.
Also, look at the Like-to-View ratio. This is a bit of mental math. Usually, a very good video gets a "like" from about 3% to 5% of its viewers. If a video has 1 million views but only 200 likes, something is very wrong. It either has a massive number of dislikes, or the views were bought by a bot.
The Future of Feedback on the Web
We are moving into an era where platforms want to control the "vibe" of the conversation. Instagram experimented with hiding likes. Netflix moved from a 5-star rating system to a simple "thumbs up/down." The goal is usually to keep people consuming content without feeling the "social friction" of seeing that something is unpopular.
But humans are social animals. We rely on the "wisdom of the crowd" to navigate the sheer volume of information uploaded every minute. Without a clear signal of quality, the internet becomes a much noisier, more dangerous place for the average user.
Actionable Next Steps
To get the most out of your YouTube experience without being misled:
- Install a verified extension: Use Return YouTube Dislike on your primary desktop browser. It is the current gold standard for this specific problem.
- Check the "First 30 Seconds": If the creator is stalling or the audio quality is terrible, don't wait for a dislike count to tell you it's a bad video. Trust your gut.
- Verify on Reddit: If you're looking for a tutorial or a product review, search for the video title on Reddit. If it's a scam, there's almost certainly a thread about it.
- Monitor your extensions: Every few months, check if your browser extensions are still active. Google occasionally updates Chrome in ways that can "break" these tools, and you'll need to update the extension to keep the data flowing.
The dislike button might be officially dead in the eyes of Google, but as long as there are developers who value transparency, you'll always have a way to see what the rest of the world thinks of a video. Use these tools to protect your time. Your "BS detector" is officially back online.
End of Guide.